The present invention relates to a pneumatically and/or electromechanically actuated disk brake for a utility vehicle having a brake application device.
Disk brakes of this type which are known as a fixed caliper brake use the reaction force principle in such a way that, as a result of elastic deformation of the brake caliper after pressing of the brake lining which is pressed against the brake disk by way of the brake application device, the opposite brake lining is pressed onto the brake disk.
In an exemplary embodiment, the brake caliper itself and/or a connecting flange, via which the brake caliper is connected fixedly to the axle part, can be elastically deformable.
The brake caliper is deformed to such an extent that an air play is overcome between the brake disk and the reaction-side brake lining.
In order to compensate for brake lining and/or brake disk wear, each brake lining is assigned an adjusting device which ensures that the air play remains constant between the respective brake lining and the brake disk.
However, it is disadvantageous in this case that nonuniform wear of the two brake linings occurs, which is disadvantageous, since, for example, the service life of the linings does not correspond to the desired length. Moreover, axial forces act on the wheel bearing, which likewise has the consequence of a limitation of the service life, with the resultant consequential costs with regard to necessary repairs.
The present invention is based on the development of a disk brake of the generic type in such a way that its operational reliability is improved and its service life is increased.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a supporting part is provided in the region of the pivoting lever, which supporting part is arranged and designed in such a way that, during a brake application movement of the pivoting lever, it forms an abutment for the pivoting lever after a predefined stroke of the brake piston between the pressure region of the brake lining on the pivoting lever and its support on the brake caliper.
The exemplary supporting part is preferably configured as a stop pin which is connected fixedly to the pivoting lever and, in the functional case, is supported on an axle part or on a part which is connected fixedly to the axle, for example on an inner projection of the brake caliper.
Unlike in conventional systems, where the action-side brake lining has to be pressed onto the stationary brake disk in order to generate the reaction force, the embodiments of the present invention achieve a situation where the brake caliper is already deformed elastically by the reaction-side brake lining being pulled in toward the brake disk, when the action-side brake lining is not yet in engagement with the brake disk.
According to embodiments of the invention, the two brake linings are loaded more uniformly as a result of them being used more synchronously as a result of this configuration in a further brake application. The effect of nonuniform wear is therefore reduced, with the result that the service life of the brake linings is increased.
There is provision according to one advantageous embodiment of the invention for the supporting part to be configured as a stop pin which extends in the brake application direction, and comes into contact with the part which is fixed to the axle and extends transversely with respect to said brake application direction.
In this embodiment, the length and the position on the pivoting lever are selected in such a way that the stop pin bears against the part which is fixed to the axle after half of the brake application path.
In addition to attaching the stop pin directly on the pivoting lever, it is also envisioned to connect the stop pin fixedly to the rigid axle part, with the result that the pivoting lever is supported on said stop pin during the brake application movement.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.